Leather tanning is a process for treating skins of animals to produce leather, a material that is more durable and less susceptible to decomposition. Conventional processes for producing tanned leather and tanned leather goods generate considerable waste material. One of the waste byproducts of the leather tanning process is the clippings or shavings from the surface of the leather that resemble pulp. This waste material is known as “wet blue” because of its color after tanning with a chromium compound. Wet blue is typically disposed of in landfill. Another waste material is pulverized trim scrap, which is a material that is fully colored and finished from the leather die cutting operation.
Wet blue shavings from the tanning process, scraps from cut leather, and other leather waste from conventional leather processes are usually bulked and transported to landfills. Disposal of leather waste in this way is environmentally undesirable, impacts livestock, can result in air pollution and fouling of wastewater, and can be costly to the leather producer. Accordingly, sustainable methods of using the waste from the leather tanning and production processes are desirable.